Economic development in general is comprised of five different practices: Business Retention and Expansion, Business Attraction, Workforce Development, Redevelopment and Infill Development. These practices ideally work together to improve the economic environment locally and regionally.
Specifically, Business Retention and Expansion is all about retaining and expanding existing businesses. The main focus of the City of Flagstaff’s BR&E Program is to connect existing primary sector industries, manufacturers, exporters of goods and services, and start-ups to resources that positively impact the bottom line of doing business in Flagstaff. In a nutshell, our message to local businesses is this: The City of Flagstaff is thankful you have made Flagstaff the home of your business and we hope you will stay and grow here.
How Exactly Does City Staff Assist in the Retention and Expansion of Local Businesses?
Our BR&E program connects existing businesses to resources that assist with retention and expansion. Unfortunately, the City does not have a “bucket of cash” available to throw at businesses or a magic wand to waive development standards. However, we do look to other partners for available resources that can be tapped. The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), formerly the Arizona Department of Commerce, has various programs at the state level that help to grow local businesses. We look to the ACA, as they have several programs geared for anything from manufacturers in rural communities to businesses that are looking to commercialize new technologies.
What Else Do We Do? That is, What Other Services Can City Staff Provide Businesses Aside from Connecting to External Resources?
We assist businesses with site selection as they look to better position themselves in the area. We use a very robust consumer-based analytics package to compare our community to other communities in the nation, which helps businesses better understand their target markets, product offering, the competition and also workforce demands. We also provide marketing assistance. If a business can say who their customer is, we can help locate where they are and how best to reach them. We also have great relationships with a vast array of economic development partners in the region so if there is a question we can’t answer, we have partners who can.
Who are Some of Our Partners?
We primarily work with ECoNA, the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, Coconino County Career Center, NACET and the SBDC. These are long-standing community organizations that have a wide range of resources available to local businesses.
When it comes to retaining and expanding local businesses, we are fortunate in Flagstaff to have a cache of resources and support systems in place. FBN
John Saltonstall is the business retention and expansion manager for the City of Flagstaff. For more information about business assistance programs in our region, contact Saltonstall at jsaltonstall@flagstaffaz.gov or 928-213-2966.
